Kill One, Save a Thousand

This could be a very significant week for many, especially in regards to relationships. There are two different major astrological configurations, very different in their effects, but somehow coming together in our lives. There will be an opposition of Venus and Juno, which will be closely conjunct the Nodes. Deeply fated connections may be forming, along with some quite interesting revelations about love. To punctuate the entire occasion, both Mars and Pluto will be making stations this week. You can see an image of this line up of planets at the end of this article.

Mars and Pluto bring up issues where conscious reason takes a back seat to more complex ego motivations and the deeper end of their pathologies, which are usually very difficult to control or harness. In extreme cases stations of these planets will coincide with accidents, injuries, or worse; on an individual level, or extending to broader group mishaps. Mars is force, and Pluto being very similar to Mars will bring out the worst examples of force, coercion, or violence. Of course violence does not have to be physical in nature, it can be emotional, verbal, or ideological. These planets cover the whole gamut.

The peaks will be Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday, April 10, 13, and 15, 2012; a lot of life developments may pivot around these days.

Force is not always a bad thing, sometimes force is required to break loose from some heretofore constricting, limiting or restraining thing. Sometimes where you’re racing down the track, you need to apply the gas at the right moment to round the corner most advantageously. Sometimes you have to cut the ties in a quick fashion, mercifully ending the perpetuation of a situation not exactly bad, but ultimately detrimental to all parties.

I’m reminded of the ancient martial arts maxim: you can use sword to kill a thousand people, or you can use it to save a thousand people by killing one person. Mars turns direct on Friday the 13th, in April this year; Pluto turns direct on Tuesday, April 10.

Tuesday, April 10Relationships are sure to move to new developmental stages, and emotional and energetic manifestations are certain to be very powerful. Pluto turns retrograde today, which will coincide with major breakdowns or breakthroughs; and it also coincides with watershed moments in the misuse of power. See image below of this configuration (Venus conjunct South Node, opposite Juno, semisquare Sun, Pluto stationary retrograde)

Wednesday, April 11Reckless adventurism may be a theme of the day. Fortune favors the bold, as they say; so success may go to those who don’t hesitate and seize the prize. But not all enterprises will succeed on daring alone; therefore actions taken today may ultimately fail for want of planning or perseverance. (Mars tridecile Jupiter, Sun enters sidereal Aries)

Thursday, April 12Early on (in the European time zones) a pessimistic trend may characterize the day, inhibiting actions, and suppressing all energetic activity in general; paving the way for blockages in the flow of information, breakdowns, or misunderstandings. However, if perseverance is applied, seemingly intimidating problems can be quickly reduced in size, producing a feeling of self-empowerment. (Mercury quincunx Saturn)

Friday, April 13Audacity and self-assurance may be the tone of the day. Projects and initiatives may be chomping at the bit to charge out of the gate, and tact may not be the most important quality of the day. Be careful of being in risk zones for physical safety, especially having to do with fire and sharp metal objects; and self-assertion may get a little out of hand. (Mars stationary direct)

Saturday, April 14Strong emotions may coincide with relationship developments. Strong passions may underscore any area of human life today. (Venus quincunx Pluto, Juno conjunct Node)

Sunday, April 15A spirit of pessimism may color the day, affecting outcomes. Pathological reactions to stresses may be strong, causing addictive, deviant, or problematical behaviors. It is important today not to lose your broader vision of the future, to carry yourself through some of the rough parts of the journey to your goals. Unusual and/or quickly manifesting connections may form. (Sun opposite Saturn, Juno trine Uranus)

Monday, April 16The tendency to demonize and project one’s own inconsistencies onto the other are exacerbated, which has a tendency to cool and deaden heretofore passionately hot feelings towards them. Circumstance also have the tendency to bring out our shaming and blaming habits. The good thing about doing bad things though is that we see the negative consequences they bring about, especially with being immature or judgmental with our love ones, and we are brought to humble self-correction. So today may bring a little tribulation to our relationships, but it is all for the better. In general actions and reactions are going to be extreme, and some situations may come to a certain end, while others move through rather interesting times. Some may push the envelope more than seemingly appropriate. (Venus sesquiquadrate Saturn, Sun tridecile Pluto)

Addendum:

War was never meant to be a prolonged affair, it is meant to be quick and decisive. Unlike our decade long occupation and attrition against Al Qaeda in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and a handful of other countries; Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese war strategist would recommend:

The Art of War, Chapter Two

When you engage in actual fighting, if victory is long in coming, then men’s weapons will grow dull and their ardour will be damped. If you lay siege to a town, you will exhaust your strength.

Again, if the campaign is protracted, the resources of the State will not be equal to the strain.

Now, when your weapons are dulled, your ardour damped, your strength exhausted and your treasure spent, other chieftains will spring up to take advantage of your extremity. Then no man, however wise, will be able to avert the consequences that must ensue.

Thus, though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays

There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.

The reason I mention this is precisely because Mars is a planet that burns very hot and very quickly, it’s force cannot be sustained over long periods of time. This will be the nature of the energy which will be highly focused on Friday, April 13. Pluto, however, can be thought of more of a long, extended focus of force, seeking to bring about deep and thorough change to the landscape.